Administrative burdens for grape and wine producers to be further reduced

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The new rules will make the everyday life of grape and wine producers easier. The measures were developed by the Ministry of Agriculture with the involvement of farmers, together with the National Council of Mountain Villages and the relevant state offices, taking into account the proposals of producers. The change affecting grape producers is that the application period for new planting permits has been brought forward, before spring plantings, and a new, autumn period is also opening. Winegrowers without a cellar can sell the wine they contract out to a licensed winery from their own grapes. We will eliminate the double inspection of planting and felling in the case of plantations renewed through restructuring. Furthermore, a soil protection plan will not be mandatory for grape plantations under 1,500 m2, and soil protection plans no older than five years can be used for larger plantations. The validity period of the grape replanting permit will be extended to six years.

The amendment affecting winegrowers is that from 2026, the harvest of grapes produced and processed by the winery does not have to be reported separately; it is enough to specify the quantity of new wine

In addition, the name Muskotály can also be used on wines made from Traminer. We will make the issuance of the certificate of origin required by EU customs regulations, required in the case of export, a one-stop shop and free of charge, and will then be digitalized from 2026. In addition, the administration of wine-making contract work performed outside Hungary will be simplified. These wines can be exported and returned without being placed on the market under the supervision of the wine authority and the mountain judge from next year. The sensory evaluation of products without geographical indications will be simplified and faster. We will develop official flat rates for nutritional labeling. We will extend the discount for sparkling wine production to non-bottle-fermented items. Furthermore, the rules on protection of origin will be more flexible to modify, and they will be able to be commented on electronically in the future instead of in mountain village assemblies. The aim of the simplifications is to make the operation of the wine-making sector more flexible, to make official administration less time-consuming, and to enable producers to follow market changes more efficiently. The new rules will also make it easier to adapt to changing external circumstances. The process of reducing administration does not end there. One of the lessons learned from the work of recent years is that regulations need to be continuously examined and analyzed, and rules need to be adapted to daily practice.

AM